Combination of head-band and adjustable microphone cage



y 1951 F. E. HOTHEM 2,993,962

COMBINATION OF HEAD-BAND AND ADJUSTABLE MICROPHONE CAGE Filed May 4, 1960 fbxwesr 5 Her/ism ,4 TTORNE Y5 United States Patent 2,993,962 CONBINATION 0F HEAD-BAND AND ADJUST- ABLE MICROPHONE CAGE Forrest E. Hothem, Coshocton, Ohio Filed May 4, 1960, Ser. No. 26,856 3 Claims. (Cl. 179-156) This invention relates to a combination of microphone and head-band for supporting the same in operative position upon the head of the user and is a continuation-inpart of my co-pending application Serial No. 818,456 filed June 5, 1959, now Patent No. 2,943,157, June 28, 1960, to which reference may be had for a fuller understanding of the combination herein contemplated.

As stated in the above-noted application, my combination of microphone and head-band in general is of a simple light-weight form with means for mounting the microphone cage upon the head-band so as to be readily releasable therefrom.

The particular improvement in the present application consists of a comparatively simple, effective and dependable form of support for the microphone cage with means for mounting the same upon the head-band so as to be readily adjustable for obtaining the most eflicient position of the same with respect to the mouth of the user in any given case. This therefore is the general object of my present invention; and other objects will appear from the following description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my present improved form of device;

FIG. 2 is a partial view in elevation.

It is to be understood that the present form of disclosure is merely for the purpose of illustration and that there might be various modifications thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention as herein set forth and claimed.

The head-band consists of a resilient wire, as for instance light-weight stainless steel wire or piano wire either bare or coated with pliable plastic or other suitable material, with bowed or arched portions 1 and 2 that are adapted to engage about the top and sides of the head of the user. This band may consist of a single wire which is bent back upon itself, as indicated in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawing. This wire, at the point where it is doubled back upon itself, may have its doubled portions in the region of the bend substantially parallel and straight so as to provide a clamp portion 3 for engagement with one side of the head of the user in the region immediately in front of his ear.

Immediately opposite the clamping portion 3 the wire is provided with a head-clamping plate 4 for engagement in front of the users other ear; and this plate 4 may have an integrally formed boss 4a with a narrow neck about which there may extend the wire or cable 5 for the conventional microphone crystal unit within the cage 6 of light-weight metal or plastic material. The plate 4 has also the pair of integral oppositely facing ears 412 for holding the wire or cable 5 in position about the boss 4a.

The plate 7 is supported below the plate 4 by means of the members 7a and is spaced outwardly from the plane of the plate 4 so as not to engage the users head and so as to permit extension of the wire 5 at the inner side thereof. It is possible that the plate 7 may be formed integrally with the plate 4. Upon the outer side of the plate 7 there is mounted the threaded bolt 8 with a lock washer 9 for engagement by the U-shaped washer 10 to receive the parallel stretches of the doubled wire support 11. The lower ends of the wire support 11 are suitably formed for engagement within the annular groove 6a about the lower or outer end of the cage 6, these wire ends being held in clamping engagement within the groove 2,993,962 Patented July 25, 1961 6a by the clamp 12 that has frictional sliding engagement along the diverging portions of the wire support 11. That is to say, the clamp 12 will be slid rearwardly along the wire support 11 to effect holding engagement and in the opposite direction in order to release the same from such holding engagement.

As indicated in the accompanying drawing, the wire portions 1 and 2 extend in a substantially diverging manner with respect to each other towards the middle thereof and throughout the main extent thereof so as to ensure effective and dependable as well as comfortable position of the same upon the head of the user.

The bolt 8 which extends outwardly through the lock washer 9 and the U-shaped washer 10 as well as between the cage-supporting wire portions 11, has the threaded captype thumb nut 13 that is adapted to hold the wire support 11 in the position to which adjusted. That is, upon loosening the nut 13, the cagesupporting wire 11 may be slid along in the U-shaped washer 10 to the desired position with respect to the users mouth and then secured in such position by tightening the nut 13.

This head-band is so constructed and arranged that the microphone cage 6 may be positioned in front of and at suitable distance from the mouth of the user; and, with my present arrangement, the cage can be adjusted vertically as well as laterally towards and from the mouth of the user by virtue of the fact that the angularly extending wire support 11 is capable of straight-line adjustment and also i can be turned about the axis of the head nut so as to change the position of the cage either upwardly or downwardly. This combined adjustment can be eifected at one and the same time by means of the single means, as explained; and thus this form of device recommends itself for use in connection with a light-weight microphone cage in either amateur or commercial radio voice mobile communications, fixed station operation, dictating equipment, or wherever a microphone needs to be supported by a light-weight head-gear in order that the hands of the user may be free for manipulation of the controls or for other purposes. The effectiveness of the present particular improvement is calculated to contribute towards the accomplishment of this desired object; and other practical advantages may suggest themselves to those who are familiar with the art to which this invention relates.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a head-band and a microphone cage assembly, said head-band being adapted for supporting engagement about the head of the user and having a clamp means at each side therof for engagement with opposite sides of the users head, said cage having a supporting means consisting of a single wire doubled upon itself with free ends in engagement with said cage and with spaced parallel portions that are inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the cage and that have a slot therebetween, one of said clamp means having a threaded bolt extending outwardly therefrom through said slot of the cage-supporting wire, said bolt having a rotatable U- shaped Washer within which the wire portions of said cage-supporting means engage for rotatable adjustment therewith and lengthwise adjustment therewithin, and said bolt having a threaded nut adapted for releasable clamping engagement with said doubled wire so as to hold the same in th position to which adjusted.

2. In combination, a head-band and a microphone cage assembly, said head-band being adapted for supporting engagement about the head of the user and having at each side thereof a clamp means for engagement with opposite sides of the users head, one of said clamp means having an outward projection about which the electric cord of said microphone may extend for supporting engagement and having inwardly extending oppositely disposed ears therebelow for positioning said cord, and said one clamp means having a unitary downward extension spaced outwardly from the plane of said one clamp means so as to permit passage of said cord at the inner side thereof, said cage having a supporting means, and means upon said downward extension for adjustable engagement with said cage-supporting means and for releasably holding the same in the position to which adjusted.

3. In combination, a head-band and a microphone cage assembly, said head-band consisting of a single wire member doubled upon itself into spaced arched portions adapted for supporting engagement about the head of the user and having a clamp means at each end thereof for engagement with the opposite sides of the users head, said cage having a supporting means consisting of a single wire member that is separate from the wire of said head-band and that is doubled upon itself with free ends in engagement with said cage and with spaced parallel portions that are inclined rearwardly and upwardly from said cage and that have a slot therebetween, one of said clamp means having a threaded bolt extending outwardly therefrom through the slot of said cage-supporting means, said bolt having a rotatable U-shaped washer within which the wire portions of the cage-supporting means engage for rotatable adjustment therewith and lengthwise adjustment therewithin, and said bolt having a threaded nut adapted for releasable clamping engagement with said cage-supporting means so as to hold the same in the position to which adjusted.

No references cited. 

